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  • #1

    Need help sorting this out....

    OK - Here's the deal. Quick recap on the situation: I am now raising my child on my own and have just found a F/T job. This one covers all of the bills for now and I have no debts (so cool!!). What is really nice about it is that it is at a CPA office where I will be trained to be their Office Manager and Bookkeeper plus anything else I desire to learn. This is great!!! Where I need help is whether I supplement with schooling to get a degree and maybe even become a CPA myself. In my state, a CPA HAS TO HAVE a degree . So here is my dilemma: schooling will take 3-4 years for me to complete and then I will have a $400/mo payment for the next 10 years and be $30-40K in debt to make $60-100K per year after that. Without education, I will likely cap out at $40K per year - maybe $50K if I'm really fortunate. I'm not wanting to make LOTS of money - REALLY! My question is more about time. Going to school is going to sacrifice time with my daughter no matter what time of life I decide to do it if it's within the next 16 years. However, I'm not seeing that I'll be able to spend more time with her unless I can support myself on a part time basis as a CPA - which requires the degree. But then, I would probably be making the same amount part time as I do full time now (not really any guarantees of part time either) plus I'll have the debt for going through school to pay off. In anyone's opinion or experience, which would be the better decision? 1) To go ahead and cap out w/o school and spend that time w/my daughter until she's 18 with the bills covered, a decent enough roof over the head (although I'll never own one), and a little bit of savings OR 2) Spend 3-4 years in school now, acquire the debt, be done by the time she's 6 and then have flexibility to spend more time with her (hopefully - not guaranteed) while earning more money (which being a single parent, the tax man will probably take most).

    Any comments, criticisms and personal life stories would be helpful. Thanks!
    27 F 5' 7"
    Before baby: HW:230/195 after 6 months on Atkins
    After baby and current restart: 210/207/120

    I'm too sexy.....for this bod; WAY too sexy for this bod

    Phase: Restarting a clean Induction as of 7/29/2007.

    Minigoals:
    To get thru my first week clean: (8/05/2007) Done! Yay! and 3lbs down :/ but at least it's a loss.
    To get thru my second week clean: (8/12/2007)
    199lbs:
    189lbs:
    179lbs:
    169lbs:
    159lbs:
    149lbs:
    139lbs:
    129lbs:
    Goal!:
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Need help sorting this out....

    Is there any chance that your new company would pay for that schooling down the road? A lot of companies will help subsidize their employees educations if they are looking to get ahead in the company. Can you do the schooling via night school or online? That would mean less time away from your daughter and you could still be working and making money.
    Female, 46yrs, 5'3"

    Restarted Atkins 09/19/05
    Re-restarted Atkins 03/12/07

    SW198.5/CW215/GW150







    Slug Free 6WEC#21 & 22 & 23

    "Superhuman willpower is not required to do Atkins, only the wisdom to put yourself into a position where you won't need it."

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Need help sorting this out....

      WOW...

      You are in my boat, eh?

      It really comes down to what is most important to you? (NOT A CRITICAL STATEMENT, MORE OF A SELF DISCOVERY ISSUE)

      For me, I had to say that I would pass on what I really WANT to be doing, and is more income, for now, because my kids are little... and take the job that pays the bills and allows me the max time with them. They aren't going to remember what kind of shoes I got them, but they will recall that I spent the majority of each day interacting with them,and was home on the holidays (not an option for a dispatcher), and I was able to get time off for plays, important games, etc (again, not going to happen dispatching). I have given up home ownership (for now), because the trade off for the extra income needed to buy isn't worth it, adn if the pipes break, I dont have to pay to fix them!A dear friend, who was a nurse, and would love to do it again, summed it up for me... She said "I will be a mommy for a lot longer than I am a nurse, and my kids are only little once. I get one chance to do the best I can with them, and then they go off into the world. I can be a nurse again, but Danny will never be 6 again." That settled my heart in what had been a huge war in my life over my preferred profession, and the demands of that profession taking away from my kids. I am the only active parent in my guys' life, so I have to do the best I can for them.

      My sister on the other hand, really feels that her kids get enough of her time and attention as it stands, and works long hours and travels frequently for her job. With three under-school aged kids. They have decided that the lifestyle they live is very important to them, and she must work how she does to maintain it. That was what they decided their family needed to be happiest.

      I ache for your dilemma, and will be praying for you. No one can decide for you. I would suggest, perhaps, distance ed classes from your local college, or an accredited distance college, that you could do the majority of the work after your little one is in bed? I am starting classes this year, and doing over the internet and with taped lectures, I only have to go to the campus for tests. A lot of colleges are doing track programs now, also, where you do your classes once a week, or distance ed, for single parents, or those who have demanding jobs. It is worth it to see what is offered in your area.

      Again, this is just my thoughts. I am very old fashioned and traditional, and hate having to work at all and not be home full time raising my kids, so my values my be very different than a lot of other peoples. Search your heart, find your real priorities (not just what you wish they were, but what they are) and what you think needs to happen to make those things work. The best thing here is that you really want to do what is best, and be the best mom you can, so if your choice is guided by that, you will be just fine.
      278/275/271/160


      Earth is crammed with heaven,
      And every common bush afire with God,
      But only he who sees, takes off his shoes.
      Elizabeth Barrett Browning



      Daily Goals:
      No wasted carbs.
      Water intake .5 -1 gallon.
      Exercise 60 minutes 5x week
      Get in the right veggies.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Need help sorting this out....

        two trhings to add to your thought process going back to school will set a very important message for your kid. it isone thing to twll them to get good grades do their home work and budget their time. it is an entirely different thing to actually be showing them by examplehow to do it.

        Have you looked at scholarships? Caitol has one for ladies returning to work as do many other companied if you got the job and need more ed you will qualify for more of them. I posted the links in LisaM's journal a this week if you want it for 100s of them.
        by the book atkinseer

        started 6/1/02 at 313
        goalie 5/04 at 167 with under 15% body fat ADBB Presidents exercise Challenge


        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Need help sorting this out....

          Thank you for the posts - they have helped. It's funny that as I was typing this post this morning, it helped me come to more of a conclusion.

          2Big - Thanks for the links. You are right about setting the example for good grades. Thank goodness I already have a good precedent set!!!! Hopefully won't be much arguing there. Additionally, my little girl is an over achiever already. She's 2 and is obsessive about napkins and scraping out her own dish and putting it in the kitchen - all things that I do myself that I haven't taught her other than by example and her evening is ruined if she doesn't get the opportunity . I'm positive she'll be a personality that always has to have perfect grades (wonder where she gets that from...).

          WP - Exact same boat. I've peeked into your journal before and I can't say my situation is as bad or my hubby as disagreeable (yet) but I am definately on the same page with circumstances and just wanting to be a full time mom. I've considered it carefully today and have decided to hold off on the schooling. Yes, I'll never get these precious years back and I will have so little time to spend with her anyways (thank you, dear hubby), so I really shouldn't take more time away. Actually, the school I was looking into would be completely online until the last 2 years of education, then once a week but homework would mostly be teamwork so it would end up being MORE nights. The chances of my employer paying? Not sure - maybe down the line. The thing that really makes me nervous is the lack of time while going through it AND taking on lots of debt for position that will likely net me as much money as before school or pay LOTS of money and own me.

          So, today I was thinking about it and just asked myself what I would tell my best friend if she asked me this same question. I would say that she ought to make the sacrifice of long-term wealth right now and reap the benefits of time with the child who needs parental involvement now more than ever. Since I do have a side business (which I was going to give up to go to school) that takes up less time than schooling and grows over time, I figure that I'll just work that on the one day a week I don't have my daughter and stick the money in savings. That sounds smarter than taking on thousands of dollars worth of debt to get where I probably could just on experience anyways.

          Any additional opinions or posts, if any, are welcome.
          27 F 5' 7"
          Before baby: HW:230/195 after 6 months on Atkins
          After baby and current restart: 210/207/120

          I'm too sexy.....for this bod; WAY too sexy for this bod

          Phase: Restarting a clean Induction as of 7/29/2007.

          Minigoals:
          To get thru my first week clean: (8/05/2007) Done! Yay! and 3lbs down :/ but at least it's a loss.
          To get thru my second week clean: (8/12/2007)
          199lbs:
          189lbs:
          179lbs:
          169lbs:
          159lbs:
          149lbs:
          139lbs:
          129lbs:
          Goal!:

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Need help sorting this out....

            oh and you could go to school part time too. say a course or two a term
            by the book atkinseer

            started 6/1/02 at 313
            goalie 5/04 at 167 with under 15% body fat ADBB Presidents exercise Challenge


            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Need help sorting this out....

              Thought about that, considering it, looking into it. Good idea.
              27 F 5' 7"
              Before baby: HW:230/195 after 6 months on Atkins
              After baby and current restart: 210/207/120

              I'm too sexy.....for this bod; WAY too sexy for this bod

              Phase: Restarting a clean Induction as of 7/29/2007.

              Minigoals:
              To get thru my first week clean: (8/05/2007) Done! Yay! and 3lbs down :/ but at least it's a loss.
              To get thru my second week clean: (8/12/2007)
              199lbs:
              189lbs:
              179lbs:
              169lbs:
              159lbs:
              149lbs:
              139lbs:
              129lbs:
              Goal!:

              Comment

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